Skip to Section

Experience & Style

Who will my photographer be?

Stuart Sanft (that’s me). I will always be your primary photographer unless you book our alternate package which offers Felicia as your primary shooter. Everyone who works with me, either in the studio or on location, has an AA degree in photography.

How long have you been shooting weddings?

For over 20 years I have been photographing weddings professionally. Prior to specializing in wedding photography, I spent a number of years running a commercial studio in the city where I was heavily involved in the fashion end of the photography business.

Do you have formal photography education?

I possess a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the field of photography and am on the advisory board at Antonelli Institute in Flourtown.

What is your style of photography?

My style is a sort of hybrid wedding photography. Rather than shooting in one particular style of photography we will shoot your wedding combining as many different styles as possible. We shoot a wide variety of detail and photo journalistic shots, some traditional shots as well as our favorite, fun and lighthearted images. Being formally trained as a landscape photographer I like to incorporate each of my couples into the unique environments surrounding them on their wedding day.

My philosophy is to give you as many different looks with your images as possible. Then you can select the particular images that move you the most. We try not to take ourselves too seriously throughout the day while, at the same time, taking our job very seriously.

Business Practices

Why should I hire a professional photographer rather than a less expensive person or asking my friends to take pictures?

This is a very good question that I address often. Please keep in mind that after the cake has been eaten, the party is over, and the flowers wilt all that remains are your wedding day images.

Practically every day I speak with someone who tells me the sad story of saving money on their wedding photography by hiring either a “friend of a friend” or an “up and coming photographer” to shoot their wedding. The unfortunate result is they only have a few decent images if they are lucky or none worth remembering their day by.

We all know that times are tough these days and we need to cut back wherever possible. The most lasting memories of your wedding will be your photographs. My suggestion is that you diligently research and hire a skilled and experienced wedding photographer, whether that is me or another qualified professional.

Will you meet me at Starbucks or Panera?

I prefer meeting in my photography studio for several reasons. It’s important that you get a full understanding of the professionalism I bring to my work. I am very proud of my studio and it’s important for you to see the environment I work in, how your files are protected, and the large assortment of albums and products I offer.

Do you book multiple weddings for one day?

Our studio has recently started offering packages where my second shooter Felicia can be your primary photographer at a discounted rate. This now allows us to shoot more than one wedding a day. When you book with us you have your choice of having either Felicia or me as your primary photographer providing we are both still available for that date. Once we book two weddings for a particular date we no longer offer our services for that date.

What are your turnaround times for products?

Proofs are available 3–4 weeks after the wedding and finished products are available within 3–4 months of order placement.

Do you carry insurance coverage?

Yes, I carry both product and personal liability insurance at all times.

On the Wedding Day

How long will you photograph us during our wedding day?

The standard package includes up to eight hours of photographic coverage. It begins upon arriving at the first location of the day and runs continuously from there. In the vast majority of instances this coverage is more than adequate. I am one of the few Delaware Valley area photographers to offer more than six hours of coverage.

How many images will you shoot at my wedding?

My goal is to shoot as many great images as possible without being overly redundant. For this reason I do not guarantee a minimum number of images. That being said, I generally shoot about 500-700 images working solo and 900-1,500 images with an assistant. Our philosophy is to keep shooting as long as there are moments that need to be captured.

Do you charge for additional travel time?

My policy is not charge for additional travel time for weddings held in the Delaware Valley area.

What are your thoughts on my fiancé and I seeing each other and taking photographs before the ceremony?

As I’m sure you’ve been told, your wedding goes by extremely quick. You should do everything in your power to enjoy as much of the day as possible.

It depends how much time is between the ceremony and reception. When they are held at the same location or there is little down time, I highly recommend taking photographs before the ceremony. This allows us to capture them in a more relaxed environment and gives you more time to enjoy celebrating with your guests after the wedding. I’ve learned from experience that this makes everything go smoother, but it’s not a requirement.

The majority of weddings I shoot follow tradition where the groom won’t see the bride prior to the ceremony. Rest assured we can make the schedule work if this custom is part of your vision.

Equipment & Processing

What type of cameras and lenses do you use?

I use professional-grade Nikon cameras and lenses both in the studio and on location.

My primary set up is a 36MP Nikon D810 full frame camera mounted with a Nikkor 24mm-120mm lens. This camera works extremely well in low light situations which often allows me to shoot without any flash yielding much softer images.

My second camera/lens combination is a 12.5MP Nikon D700 full frame camera and mounted with a Nikkor 15mm fisheye lens.

Throughout the day I also use a Nikkor 80–200mm 2.8 telephoto lens extensively. This is my favorite lens for portraiture and ceremony photos.

Will I receive an assortment of color, black & white, and desaturated images?

While I initially shoot every image in full color, during RAW processing we usually convert your images into a combination of color, black & white and desaturated tones but if you’d prefer we can give you all full color images instead.

Can a black & white image be converted to color and vice versa?

Yes. My RAW processing workflow gives me flexibility to convert between styles without any loss in quality while retaining the original color image. If you do ask us to convert a B&W image back into a full color one we ask that the request be made within 4 months of the wedding.

What type of digital format do you shoot in?

This is a very important question, and one you should ask every photographer you interview. I shoot exclusively in RAW format, which is like a digital negative for professional photographers.

Each RAW file stores about 20 times more information than a standard JPEG file that many less experienced photographers shoot in. This adds about five hours of post-production time to every wedding we shoot, but the advantages are worth it by far.

RAW processing gives me a finer degree of control over exposure, brightness, skin tones, hue adjustments, color temperature, and much more that JPEG cannot. This guarantees you the highest quality image possible.

Do you “touch up” your images?

Photos that are selected for albums or reprints will be processed, adjusted, and touched up by me personally.